Today, most people escape from their daily toil by scrolling through TikTok or Instagram. A century ago, however, people let loose in quite a different way — through jazz and dance.
“Some Like It Hot,” the Broadway musical that hit theaters in 2022, is dazzling Madisonians Nov. 11-16 at the Overture Center. The show is based on the 1959 film of the same name, starring Marliyn Monroe. Two musicians struggling to make it through the Great Depression accidentally witness a mob hit in Chicago. To save their lives, “Tip Tap Twins” Joe and Jerry join a traveling all-girls jazz band, adopting the personas Josephine and Daphne.
True to history, the show takes its musical inspiration right from 1930s big band jazz, complete with spectacular numbers that make your heart race just watching it. From an armed mobster chase to tap dancing bellboys, this show truly has everything a big ole song-and-dance musical wants. More than that, though, life wisdom is sprinkled throughout.
Yes, many of the numbers are pure entertainment, but it delivers much more. Serious topics such as feminism, racism, isolation, gender identity and corruption are presented in not only an easily digestible way, but in such a manner that left me grinning from ear to ear.
The characters take their burdens on the chin, joking through it all. One of the characters (I won’t name names!) even discovers their true identity as genderqueer. As a transgender person myself, seeing someone who was experiencing the same things as I have was deeply moving and meaningful.
Beyond providing great representation for the queer community, the cast of “Some Like It Hot” shows such a genuine and earnest depiction of what it means to be a human being. Anyone who has ever felt lonely, unwanted or even “too much” finds their own life in these characters. The switch up of conventional societal roles provides Joe and Jerry — as well as the audience — with what it’s like to wear somebody else’s shoes. I mean, heels. Regardless, it is a powerful lesson that resonates today.
Compassion, empathy and tolerance are baked into the soul of this piece, turning a gleeful evening into one that leaves you feeling both dazzled and seen. But, if you’re more interested in some singers belting their faces off, “Some Like It Hot” is still the place for you.
